Masco Press Releasesenchristopher.hebron@businessol.comCopyright 20112011-10-10T15:02:25+00:00First-Time Homeowner Wins Merillat $30,000 Kitchen Makeoverhttp://m.masco.com/news/press-releases/first-time-homeowner-wins-merillat-30000-kitchen-makeover
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Kitchen enthusiasts from across the country entered the Merillat® Works Like a Dream kitchen makeover contest, for a chance to transform their dysfunctional kitchen into a Merillat kitchen that works like a dream. Thousands entered for a chance to win the $30,000 kitchen makeover and in the end, Zack Kaefring of Denver, was named the winner.

Entrants were required to submit a photo of their current kitchen and a brief explanation of why they deserved to win the Grand Prize. As part of their submissions, they were also asked to custom design their dream kitchens with the Merillat Step-by-Step Kitchen planner.

As a newly minted homeowner who purchased a charming but outdated Craftsman abode, Kaefring started his extensive remodeling project immediately after moving in. Even though he quickly fell in love with the house he knew the remodeling work was, according to Kaefring, “not for the faint of heart, but I saw the hidden beauty under the wallpaper that adorned every wall, ceilings and a door or two!”

Kaefring’s thorough description of the impractical and outdated kitchen really stood out among the entries. In his submission, he highlighted features such as the one-wall cabinet, one functional base cabinet, two outlets and carpet that needs daily vacuuming; it’s no wonder he “was desperate” for a new kitchen. With only three rooms left in the house to remodel, and the kitchen being the most expensive undertaking, Kaefring was thrilled to win the $30,000 makeover.

“When we entertain we always end up congregating in the kitchen and we look around and say ‘why are we in here?’” explained Kaefring. “It will be nice to have a space that’s enjoyable to be in.”

For his dream kitchen, Kaefring plans to create a space that’s clean and classic with white cabinets and quartz countertops. And while he’s thrilled to have a beautiful new kitchen, what he’s most excited about are the updated and efficient organizational features. “Cooking is our number one priority in the kitchen so we can’t wait for the added function we know we’ll have.” His must-have organizational features are the pull-out spice rack, roll-out trays and the pull-out wastebasket.

In addition to the $30,000 kitchen makeover, Kaefring also received $1,500 in Curtis Stone products and a $3,000 Open House party to show off his new kitchen. For more on the progress of Kaefring’s $30,000 kitchen makeover, visit the Merillat website, join the Merillat Facebook page and visit the Round Table Blog, Twitter and YouTube.

“After more than a decade of development and discovery by the industry’s most experienced coating technology team, Vapor Tech engineers have integrated a proprietary optical absorption process into our proven line of workhorse thin-film deposition systems to deliver the darkest, most durable and pure black cosmetic finish to our expanding color palette,” said Vapor Tech President David Humenik.

Vapor Tech’s coating capabilities cover the spectrum of metallic colors, but until now, it has been extremely difficult for anyone to produce a true, neutral black using PVD techniques. Vapor Tech’s process results in stable, repeatable and customizable colorfast coatings that will not fade or shift, and the low-temperature LTAVD process allows the new black to adhere to a variety of materials, including electroplated plastics, without damaging the part.

Vapor Tech’s VT-3000

Using the L*a*b* color lightness and hue standard, the Vapor Tech black achieves the most accurate quantitative rating in measuring “true” black, and has received corresponding confirmation in more subjective customer feedback testing. The coating’s high-density, excellent adherence characteristics and its ability to withstand dramatic temperature fluctuations virtually eliminate delamination, cracking and peeling. The coating is so thin that it preserves dimensions, tolerances and underlying detail to enable a wide variety of textures.

Demand is increasing for rich, classic black coatings for high-end products, particularly in consumer electronics such as computers and televisions; premium household products including countertop appliances, bath and kitchen fixtures; automotive interior and exterior accents and accessories; and in large coating services and electroplating operations.

Left—Merillat provides cabinetry designed for ease-of-use and accessibility to the Wounded Warrior Home Project at Fort Belvoir, VA. Photo credit: Jim Kirby.

Merillat® is honored to join forces with Clark Realty Capital, Michael Graves and Associates, and global design and innovation firm IDEO to provide cabinetry to the Wounded Warrior Home Project at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Through the project, Clark Realty Capital and its partners have built two concept homes that set the new standard in accessible design for the country’s returning military service members and veterans dealing with debilitating injuries. The concept homes are being revealed today (November 30) during a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony at Fort Belvoir’s Woodlawn Village. The homes will be open to the public for a limited time beginning in December.

“We are proud to be a part of this project and help build homes that are comfortable and functional for the future residents,” said Tina Settecase, vice president of marketing for Merillat. “Function and innovation is what Merillat Cabinets is all about, which makes Merillat an ideal partner to the Wounded Warrior Home Project.”

Both homes feature Merillat cabinetry in the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room, designed for ease-of-use and accessibility without sacrificing style or storage. Adjustable height countertop surfaces operated by an automatic lift have also been incorporated, providing residents in wheelchairs the opportunity for countertop access at the most comfortable height. Large cabinet drawer and door handles are easy to grasp and more ergonomically friendly, and smart storage solutions such as Merillat’s in-drawer cutting board kits and rollout trays help keep must-have items within reach. The kitchens also feature pull-down racks that attach under wall cabinets for more convenient access to cookbooks, knives or a message center perfect for storing pens, pads and miscellaneous items and notes.

“Our team took a lot of pride in designing the cabinetry to help make everyday activities easier for the residents,” said Bob Terhune, vice president of operations for Merillat. “The cabinetry, along with the accessible design principles used throughout the homes, will help the residents to regain some of their independence.”

Throughout the project, Merillat relied on the support of its local dealer partner, Reico Kitchen & Bath (Springfield, Va), who assisted by installing the cabinetry in the homes.

Accessible Design for Every Day
The Wounded Warrior Home Project homes were built around progressive accessible design principles. Many of these design principles, including the cabinetry features, are of growing interest to homeowners who intend to remodel their current home or build a new home that will accommodate them as they age and their physical needs change. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (1), by 2030 there will be 70 million baby boomers over the age of 75. And, according to the GenShift 2011™ Study (2) (spotlighted in an Mnet article earlier this year) conducted on behalf of Masco Cabinetry by Harris Interactive, 24 percent of homeowners ages 18-65 indicate they currently live in a multigenerational house. For these reasons, more homeowners are considering accessible design principles when designing their homes and the cabinetry within them.

In addition to the accessible design features in the Wounded Warrior homes, Merillat offers many cabinets and storage accessories to improve a home’s functionality for homeowners of different ages and needs while maintaining comfort and style. Some of these include raised appliance cabinets that can help reduce the need for bending and heavy lifting; pullout and rollout drawers and shelves that can help make the most of storage space without having to reach into the back of deep cabinets; and raised cabinetry with deep toekicks that can help provide easy wheelchair access to cabinets and countertops.

For more design tips, trends and company news, visit Merillat’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, or the Round Table Blog. To learn more about the Wounded Warrior Home Project, visit http://www.woundedwarriorhome.org.

(2) GenShift 2011 Study Methodology. Harris Interactive® fielded the study on behalf of Masco Cabinetry from February 28-March 2, 2011 via its Harris Poll QuickQuerySM online omnibus service, interviewing a nationwide sample of 1,027 U.S. adult homeowners aged 18-65 years old. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with non-response, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100 percent response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the U.S. adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to be invited to participate in the Harris Interactive online research panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
For more information and to download the complete study, visit www.genshiftkitchen.com.

I am pleased to announce Keith Allman has been promoted to Group President for Masco Corporation effective November 21. Keith had been President of Delta Faucet Company since April 2007. Keith brings extensive experience in new product development, manufacturing and marketing. Under his leadership, Delta improved its market position and strengthened the Delta® brand by introducing innovative and award winning products. Recently, Delta was named 2011 WaterSense® Partner of the Year by the Environmental Protection Agency.

As Group President, Keith will be responsible for Brasstech, Delta Faucet Company, Hansgrohe, Liberty Hardware, Masco Bath, Masco Canada and Mirolin Industries Corporation. He will relocate to Masco Corporate Headquarters in Taylor, Michigan and will report to me.

Keith joined Masco in 1998 as Vice President of Manufacturing at cabinet maker Merillat Industries. He was later promoted to Executive Vice President of Operations for Masco’s Builder Cabinet Group. Prior to joining Masco, Keith spent 13 years with General Motors (GM) in a variety of manufacturing, engineering and quality positions. Following his career at GM, he worked in the automotive tier one supply base in a number of senior leadership positions. Keith has a Mechanical Engineering Degree from General Motors Institute and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

In a separate announcement today, Delta Faucet Company named Richard O’Reagan President. Previously, Richard was Vice President of Sales at Delta.

Jerry Volas continues as Masco Group President with responsibility for Arrow Fastener Company, Behr Process Corporation, BrassCraft Manufacturing Company and Watkins Manufacturing Corporation. Jerry will also continue to represent Masco as a member of the Hansgrohe Supervisory Board. In addition, David Brown, Chief Procurement Officer and Vice President – Supply Chain, and Gary Yezbick, Vice President – Innovation and Sustainability, will report directly to Jerry.

Tim Yaggi, Masco Group President, continues to be responsible for Masco Contractor Services, Service Partners, Masco Cabinetry and Milgard Windows and Doors.

Please join me in congratulating Keith and Richard O’Reagan on their promotions. The Masco family of companies is made up of a talented group of individuals. Working together, we can continue to build on our solid foundation and shape an exciting future.

BUILDER, the leading media brand for the residential construction industry, has released the results of its 2012 Brand Use Study and named Milgard Windows & Doors as the Brand Leader in Overall Vinyl Quality.

For more than 20 years, BUILDER’s annual study has been one of the most anticipated industry resources for trends and information. This year’s study was conducted in collaboration with Readex Research and represents a sample of 84,502 builders, builder/developers, and contractors. This marks the seventh time Milgard has been recognized with this honor.

“Milgard takes great pride in every window and door we manufacture and we stand behind them with our Full Lifetime Warranty,” said Gary Gessel, President and COO for Milgard. “This prestigious recognition is a testament to the passion of our employees and their enduring commitment to the quality and design of our products.”

Milgard vinyl windows stand apart because of the way they are made. Not only do we make our own vinyl, but we select every ingredient of our custom vinyl recipe for long-term performance and durability. By using only the finest quality vinyl ingredients in our award-winning windows, Milgard produces a vinyl window like no other, backed by our Full Lifetime Warranty that includes parts and labor. Our new Premium Exterior Vinyl Finishes also provide more color options, giving homeowners greater flexibility to enhance the appearance of their home.

The Milgard vinyl plant, located in Tacoma, Washington, began extruding quality frame material in 1988. All vinyl windows and doors are manufactured to order, giving Milgard the tightest control over quality. To ensure quality from start to finish, Milgard begins by precisely controlling our vinyl compound formulation to withstand harsh climate conditions. Milgard products are routinely tested in the heat of the Arizona desert and in corrosive coastal environments, and our vinyl profiles also exceed the voluntary American Architectural Manufacturers Association‘s stringent requirements for weather resistance, impact resistance and heat reversion.

Since faucet brand Brizo® established a relationship with fashion designer Jason Wu in 2006, architects and designers have anxiously anticipated a collaborative collection between the two luxury brands. After many years in the making, the two brands are delighted to introduce the Jason Wu for Brizo™ Collection, a stylish powder room suite that merges the signature styles of both brands in a line of products for the bathroom. The collection reinforces the position of the Brizo brand as fashion forward and innovative, and it marks the debut of Jason Wu into the world of interior design.

“When the Brizo brand was first partnered with Jason Wu, we set out to prove fashion can be expressed outside the runway, as it’s also a personal expression of oneself in the home,” said Brian Nobbe, director of the Brizo brand. “The Jason Wu for Brizo collection delivers a new level of luxury for the home bath and we are excited to see how consumers and design professionals react to the collection’s unique juxtaposition of ultra modern clean lines and ornamentation.”

As a designer, Jason Wu (below, center) has always been driven by a curiosity to learn about construction, perfecting every detail and merging contrasting influences into his designs. The Jason Wu for Brizo collection combines sleek Scandinavian design and intricate Baroque detailing. A Matte Black finish brings a sense of elegance to the collection and is paired with cool Polished Chrome or soft Brushed Nickel on a number of accessory pieces to coordinate seamlessly into any space.

“As a designer I thoroughly enjoyed working alongside the Brizo product team to translate my designs into a collection of products for the home. It was an exciting challenge combining my design aesthetic with the innovative technology of Brizo products,” said Wu.

Jason wanted to create a complete powder room suite, a vision which led to the addition of several pieces not typically found in Brizo collections, including a wastebasket, free-standing soap pump, soap dish, and drawer knobs and pulls. The silhouette of a Baroque-inspired flower is subtly woven throughout, providing a sense of cohesive integrity.

“Much like fashion accessories help pull together an outfit, these added pieces complete the look of the home bathroom, allowing homeowners to infuse the collection’s style throughout the space to create one seamless, integrated design,” said Judd Lord, director of industrial design for Brizo products.

At the center of the collection is a faucet unlike any other. Named for mythology’s Norse god of wisdom and magic, the Jason Wu for Brizo Odin™ faucet features a unique and unexpected rotating handle motion to emphasize the collection’s modern and seamless design. Punctuated by Wu’s signature Miss Wu owl emblem on the tip of the handle, this faucet is truly the collection’s showpiece.

The Jason Wu for Brizo Odin faucet is equipped with SmartTouchPlus™ Technology, which allows users to start and stop the flow of water with a simple touch anywhere on the spout or handle of the faucet. For a more intuitive experience, its hands-free mode activates the flow of water when hands are anywhere within 4” of the faucet.

Debuting on the Jason Wu for Brizo Odin faucet is an exclusive temperature control technology featuring a new temperature sensing indicator. An LED light display built into the base of the faucet uses shades of light, from blue to magenta to red, to indicate actual water temperature. The electronic valve built into the lavatory faucet also monitors the mixture of hot and cold water to help provide a consistent temperature for the user, while its high temperature limit stop offers an added degree of safety.

Flowing at 1.5 gallons per minute, the Jason Wu for Brizo Odin faucet meets WaterSense®¹ standards. Additionally, water does not come in contact with metal surfaces once inside the faucet, meeting all current and upcoming state and national legislation². Also, all items in the collection will be packaged using 100 percent recyclable materials.

The complete collection will be available in showrooms in spring 2012, although pre-order reservations are available now through February 20, 2012 for a limited number of faucets and coordinating accessories. For additional information about the Jason Wu for Brizo collection, visit: www.brizo.com/jasonwu.

About Jason Wu
Jason Wu launched his Ready-to-Wear Collection in 2006 with a unique and distinctive aesthetic. Through merging American sportswear with old world sophistication he established a supremely feminine and modern sensibility. He has emerged as one of the leading global talents based in NY but continues to evolve and grow as a designer.

¹ WaterSense is a registered trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

² California Health and Safety Code 116875 (AB 1953) and Vermont Law No. 193 (S152), as well as other current and upcoming state and national legislation, mandate that the weighted average lead content in pipes, fittings and fixtures used to convey drinking water cannot exceed 0.25% on wetted surfaces.

Delta Faucet Company was recently named a recipient of the 2011 Indiana Innovation Awards for its Touch2O® Technology. Founded by Jerry McColgin, Steven Rosenburg, and the Greater Indy Innovation Roundtable, the awards honor the state’s most innovative products and services. Delta Faucet was among 10 winners recognized at the inaugural awards dinner on September 26.

Delta Faucet has been an Indiana-based company for more than 50 years, and we are honored to be recognized by our state as one of the first Indiana Innovation Award winners. Our company is committed to developing innovative technologies and solutions that afford people around the world a smarter way to experience water. This award is a testament to that dedication,” said Keith Allman, president, Delta Faucet Company. “When Delta Faucet introduced Touch2O Technology, it revolutionized the kitchen faucet experience. With the spirit of innovation in mind, we’re pleased to announce the recent expansion of Touch2O Technology into bathroom products, along with Touch2O.xt™ Technology, which combines touch activation with advanced sensing technology for a completely hands-free experience.”

“Delta Faucet has been an Indiana-based company for more than 50 years, and we are honored to be recognized by our state as one of the first Indiana Innovation Award winners. Our company is committed to developing innovative technologies and solutions that afford people around the world a smarter way to experience water. This award is a testament to that dedication,” said Keith Allman, president, Delta Faucet Company. “When Delta Faucet introduced Touch2O Technology, it revolutionized the kitchen faucet experience. With the spirit of innovation in mind, we’re pleased to announce the recent expansion of Touch2O Technology into bathroom products, along with Touch2O.xt™ Technology, which combines touch activation with advanced sensing technology for a completely hands-free experience.”

Born of ethnographic research and human behavior studies, Touch2O Technology was developed to satisfy an unmet need to enhance the way people turn on the faucet with messy hands and turn off the water when it is not needed between tasks. With Touch2O Technology, users can start and stop the flow of water with a simple tap anywhere on the spout or the handle.

For an even cleaner experience, Delta introduced Touch2O.xt Technology for the home bathroom. The “.xt” stands for extra technology, which senses the user approaching the faucet and automatically activates the flow of water without contact. The entire faucet acts as a sensor, with a 4-inch sensing field all around. When a user approaches the faucet from any direction within that 4-inch field, the water will turn on. Moving out of range shuts off the water flow within seconds, helping to save water when it’s not needed. Both technologies are available now.

For more information about the Indiana Innovation Awards, visit http://indianainnovationawards.com.

Watch the video below, in which Bob Rodenbeck, Director of Research & Development for Delta Faucet, explains the genesis of Touch2O Technology.

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Awards, Delta Faucet Company, Innovations, Press Releases,2011-10-16T15:58:13+00:00Delta Faucet Named EPA WaterSense Manufacturer Partner of Yearhttp://m.masco.com/news/press-releases/delta-faucet-named-epa-watersense-manufacturer-partner-of-year
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Delta Faucet Company, America’s faucet innovation leader, has been named 2011 WaterSense® Manufacturer Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The manufacturer of Delta®, Brizo® and Peerless® branded products was recognized for its outstanding support of the WaterSense program and ongoing commitment to promoting advancements in water efficiency. Paul Patton, senior product development manager, accepted the award on behalf of Delta Faucet Company at the 2011 WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition annual awards banquet in Las Vegas on October 5.

The WaterSense program, a partnership program by the EPA, aims to protect the future of the U.S. water supply by providing people with easy and identifiable ways to conserve water. In addition, the program helps consumers make smart water choices in order to maintain high environmental standards and save money without compromising performance. Launched in 2008, the WaterSense Partner of the Year awards recognize partners that help advance the overall mission of the WaterSense program, demonstrate overall excellence in the water-efficiency arena and increase awareness of the WaterSense brand in a measurable way. Each year, the program recognizes just one manufacturer that demonstrates exceptional performance in each of these areas.

“Delta Faucet Company is honored to be recognized by the EPA as its 2011 WaterSense Partner of the Year,” said Keith Allman, president of Delta Faucet Company. “As a company, we place a high priority on products that address today’s water conservation concerns and promote water quality and accessibility. We strongly value our relationship with the WaterSense program, a sentiment that is due in part to our organizations’ shared belief that it is possible to create products that are both water-efficient and high performing without taking away from the end user’s experience or decreasing the quality of performance.”

A WaterSense partner since the program’s inception, Delta Faucet Company is a pioneer in the advancement of performance standards for water-saving products and has developed several groundbreaking technologies that help promote water conservation in the bath. Its proprietary H2Okinetic Technology®, for example, is an innovative shower technology that uniquely shapes and affects the water it delivers to create larger water droplets that retain heat longer for a more drenching shower experience. Using this technology on a shower flowing at a rate of 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm) allows consumers to reduce their water usage without compromising their shower experience.

In the absence of WaterSense specifications for kitchen faucets, Delta Faucet Company has taken the initiative to develop products that provide water-efficiency in this space. The Delta brand introduced its unique Multi-Flow™ feature as a potential water-saving solution for kitchen faucets. The Multi-Flow wand enables consumers to toggle easily between spray and stream functionality. For ordinary tasks, the standard flow rate is a water-efficient 1.5 gpm, which saves up to 32 percent over the industry standard 2.2 gpm in the kitchen. Ongoing ethnographic research, in-home interviews, focus groups, and retail shadowing ensure consumer needs are being met throughout the development of new advancements in water-saving technologies, like these, and also helps influence the creation of new products designed to conserve water.

“We take pride in the fact that we provide consumers with a wide range of products featuring sustainable designs, innovative solutions and most of all, water efficiency,” said Patton. “More than anything, we want to continue to develop new and innovative solutions that help people use water in smarter and more environmentally responsible ways while also enhancing the end user’s experience.”

Delta Faucet Company has been actively involved with the WaterSense Program for a number of years and is passionate about educating everyone about water conservation and the WaterSense Program. Delta Faucet Company helps build awareness with many different audiences, including consumers, designers, plumbing contractors, builders, and media, in its advertising and public relations efforts, many of which incorporate the WaterSense label or messaging.

Within the industry, Delta Faucet Company maintains memberships and is a leading voice in several key trade associations directed toward promoting water conservation, with employees taking active roles in various committees. Some organizations in which Delta Faucet Company is involved include the Alliance for Water Efficiency, one of the largest and most influential advocates of water conservation in the United States, as well as the U.S. Green Building Council and the Plumbing Manufacturers’ International (PMI).

Learn more about the EPA WaterSense Partner of the Year program. WaterSense® is a registered mark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.